Volunteers needed to take down flags

Volunteers are needed to take down the flags that are at each veterans grave site. They will meet at Minonk Township Cemetery tomorrow - Tuesday, May 31 at 9 a.m.

Jim Cinnamon

Apology for email

This website apologizes for printing an email calling a local officer an 'idiot'. Our policy is that we will print letters with a name and with no profanity. However, we mistakenly allowed a slanderous email to be printed. We will take precautions in the future to avoid printing such type of emails. We strive to be a news media rather than a social media. The email letter has been deleted and we apologize to the officer mentioned in the email for the error.

MinonkTalk

Boil order for Minonk has been lifted.

Per the City of Minonk's Public Works Department, we are no longer under a boil order. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

Libby GoodwinMinonk City HallAdmin. Asst.

Libby Goodwin

Many thanks to Chief Wherry

We got a very disturbing phone call this morning from a man who sounded exactly like our grandson. He said he'd been arrested on drug charges and needed $2000 for bail. He said he'd put us on the phone with a police officer who could give us the details. This officer said the charges were serious, but we couldn't tell anyone about it because the DEA was involved and had invoked confidentiality. He further said we could buy $2000 in prepaid phone cards and send it to a contact number he would provide As much as we were concerned for our grandson, it sounded a bit suspicious, so I went up to the Minonk Police Department and talked to Chief Wherry. He said in all probability it was a scam. He immediately got on the phone to the arresting Department and learned that the so-called "police officer" didn't exist. He then called the phone card contact number and spoke to person who got flustered, hemmed and hawed and hung up. He proved the whole thing was a cruel hoax and saved us $2000. We learned later our grandson had been at work all day, and knew nothing about it. These people were good actors and had a surprising amount of personal information. We want to thank Chief Wherry for his gracious concern, efficiency, and professionalism .

Harry & Shirley Sanders

Water Quality Report

MDR Class of 71 Reunion

Gather near and pay attention. The Mohawk Class of 71 will gather on September 17, 2016 to celebrate its 45 year reunion. This gathering will take place at Mona's in Toluca. SAVE THE DATE! Further details will be forthcoming in the not so distant future. 71 RULES.

Richard Goff

Volunteers Needed

The Avenue of Flags is in need of volunteers to put up and take down the flags at the cemeteries. The flags will be put up on Monday, May 30,2016 beginning at 6:00 a.m. starting at St Pat's cemetery. If it is raining at 6, the flags will not be put up. The flags will be taken down starting at 6:00 p.m. beginning at Minonk Twp cemetery. If it has rained during the day and the flags are wet, they will be taken down on Tuesday at the same time.

'Chop' Jacek

Grass on the streets

Dave; Minonk has a very nice thing going with this, ( yard of the month ) goes to show some folks do care....They should have sign's made for the folk's who don't care' when they blow there grass on the street, . They could win a new broom to clean it up. Its hard to keep a car clear in Minonk, also comes in on tires then we have to sweep the floor.. The black top streets and brick are really getting it this spring, with all of the rain. THANK YOU DAVE

Fred Baker

Walk in Our Shoes

Mr. Uphoff,I am responding to your editorial about attendance centers. I respectfully disagree with many points that you wrote in your editorial. I am an educator and have been so for 25 years. I do not teach in the Fieldcrest district, but all 3 of our children have attended or are currently attending Fieldcrest Schools. Our family has gone through many changes with this district in the past 18 years. I, first, have to give a huge thank you to our administrators and school board members. They are putting in countless hours to come up with ideas on ways to better serve our Fieldcrest students. To them I say, "Thank you!" For them to do this job in a time of NO ILLINOIS BUDGET makes their job nearly impossible. I respect their opinions and welcome their conversation as they look at all options for student, staff, building and town needs. Their job is to provide an education for each Fieldcrest student, during this financially difficult time. It is thankless, stressful and not popular, most of the time. I support attendance centers. This is a change that is much needed for the students at Fieldcrest. The students are the true winners with this decision. • When you put same grade levels together, the teachers that service these children can use the same resources. This currently does not happen. Teachers that are isolated, due to section numbers, and have no collaboration resources. The teachers have very little time to collaborate, share and make academic resources to share with the team. This happens daily in an attendance center setting. If you are not an educator, you have no idea how valuable this is for students. • Each school can focus on the educational/social needs of those specific grades.• Class size is better balanced. This is a huge benefit for student learning.• Curriculum and support programs are more consistent in a district.• Fieldcrest has adopted the Comprehensive Literacy Model to teach and support reading in K-8. When the 5th grade teachers can identify what K-4 building students have come from, that is problematic. If we were in attendance centers, this would not be the case. This model creates consistency. The horizontal and vertical alignment of curriculum would be consistent. Consistency is desperately needed in our district. • Have you done the research? Many rural districts have moved to attendance centers because of the educational value they bring to their school districts. The comment that you wrote "attendance centers are more for the teachers' benefit, than the students" is just a slam to our great profession and the wonderful people that do it. Where is your evidence to support that statement? Every single thing we, as educators do, is for the betterment of students. I can guarantee that teachers are not fighting for attendance centers for their own "selfish" reasons. We do, however, fight for what is right for kids. Teachers know that a community member can't possibly know what is best for our students in the school setting. You don't work where we work. You don't walk in our shoes daily. Missie Klendworth

klendwsr@unit5.org

Congrats to 2016 Prom King and Queen

Congratulations to 2016 Fieldcrest Prom King and Queen- Jeremy Sullivan and Olivia Crank.

kathy sullivan

Church Pews

Does anyone know who built the church pews that were in the silent auction of the Presbyterian Church and/or what type of wood was used in their construction? Also, What year they were built?